1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to shower caddies and more specifically to a combined shower caddy and apparatus for the capture of hair prior to reaching a drain opening at the shower floor or tub bottom.
2. Antecedents of the Invention
Showers used in homes, hotels and other such structures usually are of two main types. One type includes a bathtub, with the shower arm protruding from a wall forming part of the structure which partially encloses the shower. Access is typically provided through an opening adjacent to the longer side of the tub. Usually, the opening is closeable by a shower curtain or by one or more sliding or swinging doors. A second type of shower consists of an enclosure or stall which has a shower arm and head protruding from a wall or ceiling, and which is also closeable by a curtain, or by a sliding or swinging door.
The clogging of shower drains with hair has been a constant problem. Many approaches have attempted to alleviate this problem, primarily directed to placing a hair catching device at or within a shower or tub drain. Examples of hair catching devices placed at the drain are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. D550,819 and D730,493 and Publication No. 2005/0223481, while examples of hair catching devices placed within the drain are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,642 and 8,505,125 B1. Unfortunately, the devices intended for placement at the drains, e.g. those exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. D550,819 and D730,493 were subject to inadvertent dislodgement and hair often bypassed the device and went directly down the drain while an individual showered.
Devices intended for placement within the drain, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,642 and 8,505,125 B1 required removal from the drain for cleaning and generally were not cleaned after each shower. Thus accumulated hair was not removed until water flow became restricted or clogged. The removal of tangled hair became a messy and time consuming task. Additionally, the removal of hair caught in both types of devices required one to bend down and lift up the hair catching device, which was a difficult task for handicapped individuals.
It is now common for the shower and tub area of a bathroom to be filled with a large number of products and accessories. These products include shampoos, hair conditioners, soaps, scrubs, lotions and oils. This has created a greater need for storage in what is most often a limited space. The many containers for such products can create clutter, be unsightly, and possibly cause a safety hazard.
Shower caddies have been used to organize the products found in a shower. Shower caddies most often hang on the shower arm pipe that comes out from the wall which holds the shower head. Most shower caddies currently available are constructed to be attached to the shower arm, by hanging the caddy on the arm. In some instances, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. D309,225, shower caddies have been employed to support a shaving mirror.